Surviving A Nightmare
by Jill Valentine STARS
Summary: Yet another small town has fallen victim to the Umbrella corporation. Now, a young hacker and her friends must fight for their lives against Umbrella's horrible creations. Please rr. Chapter 9 up
1. Just Another Day

Surviving A Nightmare

Disclaimer: I do not own Resident Evil, Capcom does.

Chapter 1: Just Another Day

"Aaaw shit!" I mumble sleepily as I lazily reach an arm over to try and stop my freakin' alarm clock from making one of the most dreadful noises known to mankind. Not only is it one hell of an aggravating noise, but it also reminds me that it's the start of just another freaking day in this town that's plagued by an innumeral ammount of idiots. 

Oh, I forgot to introduce myself. My name is Natalie Thibideaux. Yeah, I'm a "good ol'" Southern girl. Heh, don't make me gag. Anyways, I'm the daughter of Robert and Linda Thibideaux, both of whom are the head scientists working in the Umbrella Laboratory and Research Facility located in the center of town. Oh, and this town that I speak of is none other than Bunkie, Louisiana. Never heard of it? Don't feel bad, it's a little shit town that has only one thing going for it...and that's Umbrella. 

Oh well, enough of that, and back to me. Yes, I am one of those self-centered people, well, not entirely. I care about my parents, and what few close friends I have. And, to those who do not really know me, I am the sweet and innocent daughter. I take all honors courses and do well in school. When, I am not even close to being sweet and innocent. 

Want to know what I do? Fine, I'll tell you. I'm a hacker. Plus, I have connections with most of the drug dealers, gangs, and other people who I will not mention, most of them people I've known since childhood. I guess I should elaborate on just a few of my exploits. Let's see, I make Fake ID's that are used for other reasons besides buying alcohol and getting into 21 and older nightclubs. Oh, how does breaking and entering sound? Been there, done that. I also do a little drug dealing for my 'friends'. Yet, we never touch the stuff we sell, "Don't fuck up your mind, just help others fuck up their's." That's our motto. Okay, enough of about this, you'll learn more as I take you along for the ride.

After lying there in bed for another ten minutes, I finally drag my ass to the bathroom to brush my teeth and do other necessary business. Where upon finishing, since I'm now fully awake, I head back into my room to change into the uniform we're forced to wear for school. A while polo shirt with the Bunkie High logo, which is just a black panther with the words "Bunkie High School" written above it, and of course, I can't forget the khaki pants we have to where. Who in the fuck came up with this you ask? Our freaking school board!

I quickly slip on a pair of Doc Martin's before grabbing my black backpack and the keys to my black Jeep Grand Cherokee, then proceed to make a mad dash for the door. 

After driving like a bat out of hell, I finally pull into the student parking lot and, since I'm late, I'm forced to park all the way in Bum Fuck Egypt. I grab my backpack from the passenger seat and lock my car doors before running to the school entrance where I am just in time for the bell. 

I sigh as I sit in my first hour class, Calculus Honors. I look around while Mr. Dupre is taking roll, and surprisingly, everyone's present. As in most of my classes, I am surrounded by cheerleaders, jocks, and preps who's parents all bought their child's way into these classes, along with the good grades they receive. That alone pisses me and the few students in here who actually like to earn their grades. 

Mr. Dupre then proceeds to stand up and take his place at the chalk board, picking up his pointer as he begins to explain today's lesson to the class. I simply yawn and lay my head down on my desk, where I then doze off. 

I'm awakened when I feel someone tugging on my sleeve, and I look up and to the side to see my friend Shane tugging on my shirt's sleeve. I sit up as he tosses a small yellow note onto my desk, most likely written on those damn post-its he's always carrying around. I sit there a moment before picking it up and reading what he has to say. "Hey, you still up for Friday?"

I pick up the mechanical pencil that is resting next to my unopen text book and notebook, where I then scribble down in my barely legible handwriting, "Yeah, just make sure you have the stuff."

I toss it back over to him and watch as he unfolds the note. He looks over at me and lets out a quiet snicker before tearing the note into small pieces to be disposed of at a later time. 

Whew, it's 11:50 and the bell just rang for our lunch break. Of course, since I do not have a death wish, I never eat lunch from the school cafeteria. Instead, I just go in the schools library, which thanks to Umbrella's contributions to the school, is larger than the town's library. 

Umbrella has contributed a lot to this small ass town. It employs nearly half of it's citizens, and donates quite a bit to schools and businesses in the area. I'm not going to explain everything it's done for our school though, it just simply isn't all that important, but you get the idea. 

While the six of us, oh wait, I forgot to introduce you to my other four friends. There's Paul, a horny and sexuallly frustrated 17 year old; Chloe, the goth of the group; Ashley, who's pretty much just like me and shane; and then there's Matt, the laid back one who's just as horny as Paul. 

I glance up from the book I am reading when I hear the sound of people giggling at a table not too far from ours, and am not surprised to see our Homecoming Queen and her little clique of airheads. Shaking my head, I lower my gaze back to my book and continue listening to their conversation.

Now, I have heard some pretty disgusting things in my time, but damn, what I just heard from them takes the whole...cake. I look up to meet the gazes of my friends, who look like they either want to burst out into a fit of laughter, or give praise to the procelain god known as, John. I politely place my bookmark inside my book, and quickly rise from the table, my friends following suit as I reach the library's exit. Once we're out of the library and in a less crowded area of our school's open hallways, we finally let out the laughter we'd been managing to hold. 

After atleast a good five minutes of trying to calm ourselves down, Ashley finally manages to speak. "Holy shit...that had to be the...funniest, yet most disgusting thing I've ever heard!"

"Yeah, I don't think I'll ever eat another Pizza Hut breadstick as long as I live!" I manage to say, which causes everyone to start laughing again. Oh, and incase you're wondering just what she did with the breadstick...let's just say that she..ehh..errr..no, if you didn't get the hint then, you never will. Because I refuse to repeat such a gross thing.

"Ahhhhh...", is the only thing I can say as a plop down on my oh-so-comfortable bed. Trust me, if you had to spend seven hours at that place, you'd be saying the same damn thing. 

After lying here for nearly 10 minutes, I finally stand and walk the couple of steps to my computer desk, and take a seat in the "rolly-chair" as I like to call it. My computer is a Dell Dimension PC, a really beefed-up one at that, that my parents had given to me when the labs received new equipment and computers. 

I switch it on, and while waiting for it to boot-up, I run downstairs to grab a soda from the refridgerator. And of course, I see that my mother has left a note on the answering machine, stating that her and my father will be working late, again. Man, that's the third time this week. Well, of course they are being kept busy by this new "research" they're doing. I dunno what it is, I may be their daughter, but some things I'm just not privy to...and that's what they're doing research on. I dunno, but I kinda get a bad vibe from it, especially since what happened in Raccoon City, and the fact that some people believe Umbrella had something to do with it. 

Oh well, it's not my problem. I shrug and head back upstairs, soda in hand. Sitting down at my computer, I decide to sign on the internet and talk to a few friends for a while. See, just another day. Little to my knowledge...it would be my last normal one. 


	2. The Attack

Surviving A Nightmare

Disclaimer: I do not own Resident Evil, Capcom does.

A/N: '..'=thoughts

"..."=speaking

Chapter 2: The Attack

BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!

Sighing, I roll over to look at the alarm clock. "Seven a.m." I mumble as the clock continues it's aggravating beeping. "Argh...beep this you fucking bitch!" I reach over and grasp the clock, before taking it and just ripping it's cord out of the wall. Sure, I most likely broke it, but oh well, who gives a fuck, right? 

As I begin to get dressed, I hear the sound of thunder rumbling in the distance, so I walk over to the window as I'm buttoning the top button of my uniform shirt. Outside, dark storm clouds are building to the northwest, most likely from the approaching cold front. I don't mind, I like stormy weather for some odd reason. 

For some odd reason, I also cannot shake the feeling that something major is gonna go down today. What? Beats the hell outta me, I'm not a fucking psychic. 

I head downstairs, my backpack strapped across my back, and since I noticed that my parents were not home, I walked over to the fridge to see if they'd maybe posted me a note to remind me to lock up. But, to my surprise, no note. Come to think of it, I don't even remember hearing them come home last night. For them, that's just...odd. Although, with the way things have been going at the lab, they probably had to pull an all-nighter. 

I shrug it off, figuring they'll be home this afternoon, and climb in my Jeep. After turning the ignition, I put it into gear and head off to school. As I drive, I can't help but notice how..empty..the streets are. Usually, around this time, people are heading off to work or school...meaning I'm usually stuck behind some old fart who needs to get the lead out his ass and put it in his fucking foot. 

I reach the school about ten minutes before I usually do, so I'm not too surprised to see that the student parking lot is only half full. Hell, I cannot complain though, atleast I didn't have to park in "Bum Fuck Egypt" today. I grab my backpack and slowly start to head towards the entrance, where I see a couple of teachers and a cop standing next to the metal detectors. 'Oh, you mean they're actually gonna make us pass through those pieces of shit today? Wonderful...'

I toss my pack onto the table and watch as one of the Phys Ed. teachers rummages through it for metallic objects or anykind of 'illegal' substance. The only illegal substance she finds it the 20 oz. Pepsi I just bought on the way here, which of course she takes...'Fucking bitch, I was gonna drink that in third hour!' I roll my eyes at her as the officer motions for me to step through the metal detectors. I step through, and of course, it doesn't go off. I grab my pack from the Phys Ed. teacher and head off down the hall, adjusting the straps across my shoulders as I go. 

The hallways, I notice, arent' very crowded as I walk down them towards the library. 'I guess today was a "skip day", and I just didn't know about it.' I stop in front of the library doors, and go to grab the door handle just as a loud clap of thunder sounds, causing many of the students currently in the hallways to jump and scream. "Heh...wimps." I twist the handle and enter the library, immediately spotting Shane and the others at our usual table. I grab my sketchbook from my backpack, along with a mechanical pencil and eraser, and walk over towards them, taking a seat next to Ashley and Shane once I get there.

For the next fifteen minutes, we sit there in silence, either reading, drawing, or studying. The storm is now really starting to get warmed up, flashes of lightning and claps of thunder resounding every thirty seconds to a minute. The halls outside are darkened somewhat, since they're all open, except for the ones in the departments and gym. 

I close my sketchbook and place my mechanical pencil inside the spirals of it. As I go to get up, we here an ear-piercing scream come from the hallway, followed by even more after it. Curious, my friends go to stand up also. Just as they do, a girl comes running inside the library, red streaks of what can only be blood smeared across her shirt and pants. She runs over to where our librarian, Mr. Johnson, is standing next to the computers, and starts screaming at him. I can barely understand what she's saying, but it sounded almost as if she's saying that...someone just...ate her friend. 

I turn to face my friends, and they're looking just as puzzled. We all turn back to where Mr. Johnson is trying to calm the girl down, but from what it looks like, isn't having much luck. 

Of course, me being the curious..okay, nosey person I am...I slowly start to walk over to the library's exit, and open the door enough to take a peak outside. The sight that falls before me is just outrageous...along with disgusting. There, in the middle of the hallway, is her friend; lying on the floor, eyes glazed over and looking up at the halls ceiling as another person is hunched over him, eating out his intestines. "Ohhh fuck!!" 

I turn my head in the other direction, only to meet the sickening gaze of what looked to be a walking corpse. Just as it reached it's decaying hands out to grab at me, I pulled my head back inside and quickly shut the door. I hold on to the door handle, but apparently, whatever had just tried to make a snack out of me didn't know how to open doors. 

Sighing with relief, I turn back around to go and try the library's other exit. Just as I reach it, I am greeted by the sight of several of these "things" out in the hallway, many of them pressed up against the windows, apparently trying to get to the fresh meat that's trapped on the inside. 

'Wait...fresh meat?' I stop, thinking of the sight I'd just seen out in the hallway. 'That thing was eating him...they look like rotting corpses...HOLY SHIT!' I shake my head, not wanting to believe my own theory. 'It's just not possible. There is no such thing as zombies!' I look around, thinking this is all one really bad dream, but when I recover, I'm still standing here, and so are those creatures. "No...fucking way."

I feel as though I'm trapped in some horror novel I've read, or one of my video games. 'Only in video games you could actually shoot the things. What're you gonna do now? Kill them by reading Charles Dickens?'

I smirk at my own thought, when I feel someone's hand on my shoulder. I spin around to find that it was only Matt, who was wearing pretty much the same expression on his face that I'm sure was on mine. "A..are those what I think they are?"

All I can do is nod. "Yeah, they are."

I watch him as he just stands there, looking out the window at the creatures who're trying to break through the windows. Thankfully for us, all windows are bullet proof. But yet, we're still trapped in here, with nowhere to go. I shiver as I feel the air conditioning kick on and a gust of cool air blows on the back of my neck. Wait...air conditioning...vents!

"Yes!" I yell as I look upwards, finding just what I'd been looking for. There's only one problem, the vents are rather small, and yet, while I, and a couple of others might have been able to fit in there...someone like Mr. Johnson and the girl who'd ran in there couldn't. 

I look over to Matt, who'd apparently caught on to what I was thinking, then to Mr. Johnson. The poor old man just looked scared shitless, and given the situation, I couldn't blame him. I have to admit, I'm not one to scare easily, but then, I never thought I'd come face to face with zombies. 

"Mr. Johnson," I speak slowly,"..do you have anything we can lock those doors with? Just as a precaution?"

He nods and reaches into his pocket, and with shaky hands, pulls out a set of keys for the library. Nervously, he walks over to the nearest door and attempts to lock it, but can't even get the key in the lock because his hands are shaking too badly. 'Poor old guy...', I walk over and without a word pick up the keys and lock the door myself, smiling to the old man before walking over to the opposite door and locking it as well. 

I hand the keys back to him and he places them back in his pocket. 'Great..' I look around the library, taking note of the thirty or so people who're huddled together near book cases or under tables. 'I guess it's up to us to get them out of here...'.

While thinking of a way to get everyone out of here, I pace around in the same small area, back and forth, back and forth. After doing this for atleast ten minutes, a bright flash of lightning illuminates the library even more, and as a loud clap of thunder resonates immediately after it, the lights in the library blink before just going out. Thankfully, the school as a backup generator that starts up after the power has gone out, and restores power to the lights in the hallways, and classrooms. Nothing else though, not the computers, fax machines, printers...nothing. I stop my pacing as I listen to the many whimpers of some students, which soon turned into crying for some. 'Argh...I can't take it!' I take a deep breath, then scream. "Enough!"

I can feel all their eyes on me now, and I decide then that it's definitely up to me and if willing, my friends to get them and any other survivors out of here. Turning to Mr. Johnson, I speak in a calm voice...which surprisingly, isn't all that tough to manage. "Do you have a couple of flashlights in here? And a ladder, so I can reach that vent up there?"

He slowly walks over to the small store room that's just behind the counter where students can check-out books, and comes back a couple of minutes later with three flashlights. I take two of them, one for myself, and for whoever, if anyone, decides to come with me. "Keep one with you and the others. Only use it if the backup power goes out, understand?"

He nods and I walk over to where my friends are sitting. I explain my idea to them, "I need someone to come with me. I can't search this entire school alone."

They all nod, agreeing with me. Shane volunteers to help search, partly because he's the only one besides myself who could fit into the vent and not have a tough time maneuvering around, everyone else is either too short to even reach it, or in Paul's case, too muscular to even fit in it. 

We walked over to where Matt had positioned a ladder he'd found in the store closet. Taking a deep breath, we all looked around at those watching us, those depending on us to get them out of here alive. I climb up first, my now empty backpack strapped across my back and the flashlight tucked into my belt. Once I reach the top of the ladder, I pull out a screwdriver and unscrew the vent, dropping both the tool and screws down to the floor once done. Before I climb up, I look down to Matt. "Make sure you have someone screw this thing shut once we're both up there, and do not undo it until we return." 

I watch him nod, then with ease, I reach up and grip the edges of the vent. Easily hoisting myself up, I crawl into the encloses space and move up enough so that Shane could climb in behind me. While waiting I squint in the darkness, and reach to my side for the flashlight. I switch it on and point it out in front of me, then behind me to make sure the vents were clear. 

Soon, Shane crawls in behind me, and we wait long enough to hear the sound of someone closing the vent and putting the screws back into place. With a nod, we begin to crawl along the narrow passageway, not knowing what we were getting ourselves into, or the nightmare that lies ahead....


	3. Griffin/The Disk

Surviving A Nightmare

Chapter 3: Griffin/The Disk

Disclaimer: I do not own Resident Evil, Capcom does.

'....'=thoughts

"...."=speaking

"Ugh...what in the _hell_ is that smell?"

"It's your breath. Now keep quiet." We had been crawling through the school's ventilation system for over two hours now, occasionally stopping to glance down into a classroom to see if it was clear. Thankfully, we were able to find a couple sets of keys...the only bad thing was we had to search the corpses of our assistant principal and a janitor to find them. Along with the keys, we took their two-way radios, thinking they would be useful if we would ever have to separate. 

Now, we stand in the large office where Ms. Kathy and Mrs. Lorraine, the two school secretaries, could usually be seen typing on their computers or managing the school's absentee list. But, not anymore, for there on the floor lie what little remains of them. Damnit, this sucks. Sure, Ms. Kathy was always a complete bitch, but no one deserves to die like that. Only the people responsible for what is going on, and then, that's if people are even to blame for this. 

I walk past the two corpses over to the telephone on Ms. Kathy's desk, not wanting to hope too much that maybe, just maybe...the phone's were still working. 

Yet, what little hope I have is quickly diminished as I slowly place the receiver back down on the desk, not bothering to hang it up. No one could get through anyway. The phone lines are dead, meaning we are completely on our own. 

I turn around and slowly shake my head, not letting my gaze meet Shane's, who was even more disappointed than I. He slowly leaned back against the wall and slid down into a crouch, and ran his hands through his lanky brown hair. "Now what do we do?"

"I don't know..." Why is it that people automatically assume that I know what to do? Heh, wait...that's because I do know. 

I plop down into a near-by chair, and lean back so that I am staring up at the ceiling. Occasionallly, cracks of thunder could be heard as we sat there in the small office. Even if it was somewhat illuminated by the emergency lights, it was still pretty dark in some areas, which only helped in creating one hell of a creapy enviroment. Not exactly the best place to think and strategize if you ask me. But, it was devoid of undead, for which both Shane and I are greatful. 

Sitting there, I continued to plan out our next move. We had to find weapons, that was our number one priorety at the moment. We simply couldn't dodge every single creature out there. Next, if at all possible, we had to search for other surivors. Not only here, but in other places as well. Then we get the hell out of this place. 

I stood up from my seat and switched on my flashlight. "I'm going to have a look in Ms. Wilson and Mr. Roy's office. Stay here."

"Alright."

Heading out of the small aclove, I stopped in the middle of the office's small hallway and looked to my left before heading in that direction. As I walked past the teacher's lounge, I caught a glimpse of something small and silver on the floor next to one of the vending machines. Not being able to subdue my curiousity, I brought the beam of the flashlight down upon the small object. 

"What the...?"

Crouching down, I recognized it to be some kind of coin. It was atleast the size of a fifty cent piece, yet, it had an engraving of some sort of mythical creature, a griffin, from what I could tell. I knew just enough about such things from when we studied ancient folklore in English. 

Feeling as if it may come in handy later on, I slip it inside one of my pockets and stand up again. 

After leaving the lounge, I finally entered Ms. Wilson's office. Boxes filled with graduation items lined the wall to my right, while to my left, shelves held many trophies earned by the school's girls basketball team, the team she coached, of course. In front of me stood her desk, where papers were scattered and cluttered. That was just...weird. Usually her office was very neat and tidy, which made a lot of people wonder if she was a perfectionist. 

I walk around and move her chair out of my way. Raising the flashlight up, I let the beam roam over many of the papers. 'Looks as if someone was...searching for something.' I silently contemplate to myself. 'But what...?'

Reaching down with my free hand, I open all the desk drawers in hope of finding something of use. Of course, no luck. It's not like she's going to keep a pistol or something in her desk, it's a school for Christ's sake. 

After finished up my search with Ms. Wilson's office, I move on to our principal's, Mr. Roy's, office. As I step inside, I move the flashlight's beam across the room to do a quick scan of everything, making sure that there wasn't anything around that could jump out and bite my ass. 

I have to say, the man wasn't much for decorations. There was simply one large bookshelf that contained a few books, school manuals and rulebooks, and a couple of trophies given to him by the school board. His desk was neatly polished and devoid of any kind of loose paper. Yet, as I walked over to it, I noticed a small red light on the wall where one of his college degrees usually hung. 

"Hmm...what do you have that's worth hiding?" I said to no one in particular as I walk over to the panel, and immediately smile, for I am greeted by the sight of a small, circular, coin rest. Smiling, I look closely and see that there's an image similar to the one on the coin I'd picked up in the teacher's lounge. Well, looks like I know who that coin was f

I reach into my pocket and pull out the coin, flipping it over in the beam of the light, and take notice of the six-digit code on the back of it. "112085." That must be the access code required after inserting the coin. 

I place the coin in it's rest, and immediately the small light goes from red to green while each key on the numerical keypad is now illuminated by an eerie green light. Slowly, I type in the numbers _112085_. Upon doing so the green light turns blue and the entire panel quickly swings out like a safe door, only to reveal a metallic three and a half inch floppy disk that could be used in any ordinay computer. 

I grab the disk and look it over. "Well, a lot of good this does." I had to have power before I could use a computer. Simply because the school's backup generator didn't supply enough power to run the computer's, simply because they weren't necessary. But still, there had to be a reason why such a simple floppy disk was kept in a hidden place. 

I closed the small safe and removed the coin, just incase it was needed again in the future, and placed it and the disk into one of the small compartments of my backpack. I was going to have to find a laptop, unless someone managed to restore power to the school..or well, most likely the entire town. But, deep down, I had a feeling that there wouldn't be anyone to do that. That, we were all that was left, with the exception of a few others who were holed up somewhere. 

Like us...


	4. Finding Weapons/Beginning the Search

Surviving a Nightmare

Chapter 4: Finding Weapons/Beginning the Search

Disclaimer: I do not own Resident Evil, Capcom does.

A/N: I am debating on whether or not I should introduce another character, and tell the story from their POV also. So, I'm going to let all those who read this decide. Just leave your opinion in the review. (Also, the main character was meant to be a bitch, at the beginning anyways, but as the story progresses, her attitude will change somewhat for the better. Not too much though.)

It's only been 4 hours since the attack, and yet, it feels like I've been trapped in this place for almost a day. Maybe longer. I don't know whether my parents are alive, or if they've become one of those...creatures. Or, even worse, if they've fallen victim and become nothing but a meal. Not that I could do anything if they were alive. Not right now anyways. Being weaponless, I don't think even I'll make it out of here. But I'll be damned if I don't try. I refuse to let those assholes out there make a fucking meal out of me. No way in _hell_!

Back in the library I sit alone at a table, Mr. Johnson's laptop in front of me. I have to say, I'm glad the old guy decided to bring it with him today. I'm also thankful that he'd charged the battery. 

I stare at the screen while waiting for the computer to boot up, all the while gently tapping the floppy disk I'd found in Mr. Roy's office against the table. _'Why would he want to hide something as simple as this?_' I continuously pondered to myself. _'Maybe it has some very incriminating porn on it? Heh, wouldn't surprise me...that guy always did seem kind of strange.'_

"Finally..." I slip the disk into the A: drive and proceed to open up the _My Computer_ folder, then the three and a half floppy folder. While I was expecting all sorts of files to start showing up, I was completely taken off-guard when only one showed up on the screen. The title was also unexpected, and as I read it, I simply whispered it..."Umbrella."

Now curious, I double-clicked on the file, and was surprised to see a large blue-print show up instead. Only, it wasn't of the Umbrella facility where my parents worked, it was of my school, Bunkie High. _'What's the big deal about a blue-print?_' 

Nothing seemed out of the ordinary. It was just...our school. That is, until I noticed the small arrow in the bottom right corner of the screen. Upon clicking on it, I was then shown a completely different set of blue-prints; they were titled _"Level B1_". Apparently, there was more to this school than it seemed. And as I clicked again on the arrow at the bottom, I was brought to a set of _"Level B2/Laboratory Passageway_" blue-prints. 

"Ohhh fuck....", I groaned out, which earned me a few glances from a few people sitting at the table next to mine. Their faces were bleak and dreary, the fact that just about everyone they knew were either dead, or one of those creatures, being the main cause. The storm and the power being out weren't helping either. 

Leaning back in my chair, I stretched and yawned quietly, the only sound being the popping of joints and knuckles. I leaned forward once again, propping my elbows up on the table and resting my head in my hands, I continued to think of where, or even more so, _how_ I could find weapons. Then, at that moment, that's when the thought struck me. Why I didn't think of it before, I do not know. All the while there'd been atleast one weapon, maybe more, at my disposal. The cop. The damn cop that'd been standing near the metal detectors this morning. 

I removed the disk from the laptop and proceeded to switch it off; wanting to conserve the battery for later when I could maybe print out a copy of those blue-prints. As I stood up from my seat, I felt the gazes of just about everyone in the room fall on me. I knew they were depending on me to get them out of this place, and back to safety. Mainly because they were too chicken-shit to do it themselves. That, or maybe myself and my friends were just the only ones crazy enough to go risk our lives for people who didn't know us, or respect us. 

Well, whatever. I might be a bitch, but I'm not entirely cold-hearted. I happen to have a small conscious. Of course, growing up and being friends with hoodlums and other juvenile delinquents tends to affect a person like that. 

As I passed Shane and the others on my way to the ventilation shaft, I simply said, "I'll be back. Just wait here." I didnt' exactly want to tell them to stay because they'll just slow me down. I knew I would have to be fast in doing this. Those zombies were everywhere, and once I got the cops gun and keys, I would have to make a sprint to his car, search it for more weapons and ammo, then return to the library. 

Climbing up the ladder, I dreaded facing the horrible stench that awaited me in the vent. Thankfully, I was blessed with a strong stomach, so atleast I wasn't constantly nauseated by the stench.

I lifted myself up into the ventilation shaft once again and quickly started crawling towards my destination. The essence of decay coming from the hallways and classrooms below was even worse now than it was before. As I passed vent openings, I caught glimpses of what lay below me. Sometimes, it was clear of any creature or victim; other times, the sight of seeing a zombie eating a desicrated corpse could be seen. Blood would be everywhere from where the victim bled out, especially if a zombie had managed to sever a major vein or artery. 

I shivered at the thought of being eaten alive. That was not how I wanted to die, not that I had any plans on dying anyways. But, if it did come down to either taking a bullet to the head, or becoming a meal to those bitches....I'd take the bullet. 

Finally, after fifteen minutes of crawling through the vent and smelling the atrocious odors of the undead, I came upon the entrance where the metal detectors were placed. There, next to the table where they searched backpacks, was the police officer's corpse. "Yes!" 

Turning my body around, I managed to get into a position where I could kick open the vent cover. After a few powerful kicks, the cover fell to the floor with a loud clang. "Heh...open sesame.."

I slid out of the opening, and once I was gripping the edge, I let go and dropped to the floor. Thankfully, the area was devoid of zombies or any other hellish creature. That would have been the last thing I needed in my way. Turning to the fallen police officer, I knelt down next to his corpse and, without any hesitation, removed his weapon. I had to say, I was impressed with his choice of weaponry. He carried a Beretta 92 FS, fully loaded, with a fifteen round capacity. I check the chamber and clip, finding the weapon to be fully loaded. He probably never even had a chance to draw it, before the zombies had taken him down. 

"Tsk...sorry dude, but it doesn't look like you'll be needing any of this." I removed three extra clips, a total of 45 rounds, from one of the pouches on his utility belt, along with a set of keys, no doubt for his patrol car and places in the station, and a large combat knife. I removed the holster for the knife and pistol, and slipped them onto my belt, along with the pouch for the clips, figuring it'd be lighter, not to mention better, than having all that other shit slow me down. 

No need to ponder how I know all these things about weapons and such, just remember who I socialize with, that explains it all. 

Keeping the handgun drawn, I stayed in a crouching position while I searched the area around me for the patrol car. The stench of decay wasn't nearly as terrible as it was inside the vent shaft and hallways. Thankfully though, the rain had let up, now it was merely a small drizzle. Although, it wouldn't be like that for long. Dark clouds could be seen building up again to the northwest; while flashes of lightning could still be visible and claps of thunder could be heard, also. So if I was going to search the patrol car thoroughly, I'd better get a move on before things started to get worse.

Quickly standing up from my crouching position I glanced about, making sure the area was clear. Off to my right were a couple of the undead, but not close enough to be a problem. If the moment arose, I would have enough time to take them out before they could do any harm. 

Seeing that everything was clear, I jogged outside and across the teacher's parking lot where, in between an old Corsica and a Ford Explorer, the policeman's patrol car was parked. Now, even for a small town, Bunkie does have a well-funded police force. Which, as with everything else, I'm pretty sure they are funded by Umbrella. The very same people who, I am beginning to suspect, have something to do with the creatures that have taken over my school, and without a doubt, the entire town. 

I holstered the Beretta, not bothering to snap it in securely. The last thing I needed was to have some zombie bite my ass because I couldn't get my weapon out of it's holster. 

Looking around again, I unclipped the set of keys taken from the police officer. Realizing I didn't know which key was used to open the car's trunk, I began to go through each and every one of the keys. Thankfully, I got it right on the fifth key I tried. 

I clipped the keys back onto one of my belt loops and began searching through the mess that occupied the trunk. _'Shit, this guy was a slob. No wonder he couldn't get to his weapon, he probably had freakin' butter-fingers or somethin'_.'

As I was searching, a wheasing-type of sound suddenly sounded from somewhere behind me, along with a _*click, click, click*_ type of noise. Almost as if, someone with asthma was creaping around. Not to mention someone wearing high-heeled shoes. 

Stopping, I quickly turned around, drawing my weapon as I did so, only to find that the parking lot was comepletely empty. Whatever was there before must've left. 

Turning back to the car's trunk, I began rummaging through it's contents once again. After throwing out most of the trash that had occupied it, I smiled when my gaze come across a shotgun. Picking it up, I recognized it as a standard issue SPAS-12 tactical assault shotgun, fully-loaded with a 7 round capacity. I slung it across my neck and shoulder, adjusting the strap so I could easily swing it around when I needed it. The only other item contained inside the trunk was a box of 12-gauge shotgun shells with a count of fourteen shells. 

Closing the trunk, I turned around and began jogging back to the school's entrance. Finally I could get around to searching the rest of the school for survivors. Although, there probably weren't many, if any, at all. 

About halfway to the entrance, I began to hear the same noise as I'd heard before, near the patrol car. Stopping in my tracks, I realized that they seemed to be coming from somewhere behind me. 'This can't be good.'

Quickly swinging the shotgun around, I gripped the stock tightly with one hand while I chambered a round with the other, then turned to face whatever was behind me. 

Nothing. The parking lot was completely devoid of life. Besides myself, that is.

"Strange..." Lowering the weapon, but not loosing my grip on it one bit, I turned back towards the entrance; but was stopped immediately by the sight that lay before me. Or should I say, the sight that hung before me.

There, crawling upside down on the tin catwalk that lined the pickup/drop-off area, was one of the most horrendous images I've ever laid eyes upon. The creature certainly looked like something out of a nightmare. Or a cheap horror film. It's body was skinless, nothing be red-muscle and tissue visible. Blood dripped onto the cement walkway. Yet, the two most disturbing images were the lance-like tongue that snaked it's way out of it's mouth, which was composed of sharp teeth that looked as if they could tear flesh better than the sharpest of scalpels. It's eye's were black, bottomless pools that looked as if they were just holes in the pinkish-white flesh of it's exposed brain. 

"Ohhh...shit...", were the only words I could mutter at the moment as I slowly began to back away. I knew I would have to face the creature, simply because there weren't any other places to run. 

Before I even knew it, the hidious monster had dropped to the floor with ease. Landing on it's large-clawed feet and hands, it simply stayed in place. Almost as if, it was waiting for the perfect moment to strike. 

Gripping the shotgun tightly, I slowly began to raise it up to take aim at the creature, when suddenly it just sprang forward. Not really knowing what I was doing, just acting on instinct and pure adrenalin I quickly raised the barrel and aimed upwards and pulled the trigger. 

The entire encounter was over in mere seconds. There, the monster lay at my feet, it's entire face gone, like it had just exploded. Small pieces of tissue and brain matter littered the ground around me, not to mention an enormous ammount of thee creature's blood. Blood that was also beginning to pool around my feet and the monster's body. 

Stepping back, I also realized that I'd been sprayed with the creature's blood. It covered my arms and upper body. My once-white uniform shirt was now stained red, making it look as if I'd been the one injured. 

Shaken by the encounter, I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, trying to calm myself. So, zombies weren't the only things me and my companions had to worry about. But creatures like this one as well. I didn't know what had caused, or who was responisble for what was going on in Bunkie, but now, I am determined to find out. 

After climbing back into the vent shaft, I made my way back to the library once again. My bloodied appearance not really helping everyone's hopes of getting out alive, nor managing to _up_ their spirits. Which, at the time, I wasn't exactly concerned about doing. 

I sit atop the librarian's desk now, my legs dangling off the side while I plan out my search. As far as I could tell, the best plan would be to start with the classrooms in the English Department, then work my way down to the Math and Science Department. From there, I would head straight past the library and check the classrooms that were across from the office. After those, I could check the Art and Business classrooms. Next, that would leave me with the Ag and Home Economics Departments, and finally, the Gym. Of course, there were places like the Cafeteria and the portable buildings that contained more classrooms. Since the Cafeteria was closer to the library, it'd be wiser to check it first, then start with the English Department. 

Sighing and taking a deep breath, I look up and glance around at everyone else. Some were lying down with their heads on the table, others were reading or talking amongst themselves, most likely in order to keep themselves from thinking about our situation. 

I hop off the desk and unholster the handgun at my side. Motioning to Mr. Johnson, I move over to one of the locked doors. Moving around the hallways, even if they were littered with corpses of students and teachers, would be better than crawling through that damn ventilation shaft again. Now that I had weapons. But, I knew I would have to use them sparingly. I simply didn't have the ammunition to go around blasting my way through the hoards of undead. 

I stepped to the side while he unlocked the door. Smiling, I gave him an encouraging nod. What can I say? I got along better with this old guy than I did with most people my own age. And not because he's old and I take pity on him. More like I have respect for him, because he respected me even though I'm a complete smartass. 

Turning the door knob, I pushed open the door and stepped outside, into the bloody and decay-smelling hallway. I waited until I heard the door close and the turning of a lock before moving on. I constantly kept the Beretta aimed out in front of me, my right hand gripping the gun with a finger kept on the trigger; while, my left hand cradled the butt of the handgun, like you usually see cops doing. This was supposed to help keep the gun steady while aiming, and as far as I could tell, it actually worked. 

"...And so the search begins." I speak to no one in particular. I knew that this was only the beginning of my adventure, or should I say, my nightmare. First people turning into zombies, then creatures with no-skin and a tongue that could probably stab right through a human body? This was definitely stuff that made up nightmares. And one thing about nightmares, they never got better, only worse. 

A/N # 2: Okay, I didn't put this at the top because I hate leaving long author notes. Anyhoo's, when you give your opinion about adding another character, leave your thoughts on maybe what the character should be like. So, maybe, I can pull off something to please everyone. 


	5. Few Survivors/Finding an Escape Route

Surviving a Nightmare

Chapter 5: Few Survivors/Finding an escape route.

Disclaimer: I do not own Resident Evil, Capcom does.

A/N: Don't let the title fool you folks. Just because it says "Finding an escape route" doesn't mean this fic is anywhere near completion.

I watched the zombies head cave in as the bullet exited the back of it's skull. Blood and brain matter fell to the floor with a _*squish*_ while it's body fell limp onto the floor. 

I had been pretty effective in dodging what menaces I'd come across so far, only having to take down a few of the monsters. Thankfully, the only thing I'd had to face so far was zombies. I hadn't seen anymore of those..tongue monsters since my last encounter near the entrance. 

So far, I haven't encountered a single survivor. I've already checked the English, Math, Science, hell, I've searched all the areas, except for the gymnasium and it's locker rooms. Although, I am now beginning to think that _we're_ the only ones left. Which, even for me, is a depressing thought. 

Entering the gymnasium through one of the side doors, I find that it's empty. Kind of strange, considering all the other departments I've been in were atleast occupied by a few zombies. But then, I can't complain. The less ammo I have to use, the better. 

Seeing that the basketball court, and the bleachers on the second floor were clear, I turned to my left and proceeded to check the boy's locker room. As soon as I heard the moans of the undead coming from the inside, I immediately abandoned the thought of entering. Now, onto the girl's locker room. 

Jogging across the gym floor to the other side of the large building, I turned down a small off-shoot, stopping once I reached the door that opened up into the locker room. All was quiet. So, with Beretta in hand, I slowly eased the door open with my left hand. Taking slow steps forward, I let the door close behind me. Satisfied that there was no emminate danger, I holstered the Beretta and began to walk forward. But before I could even take another step, I suddenly felt something hard and solid painfully graze the side of my head.

Stumbling back against the door, I brought a hand up to where the object had struck me. "Fuck!" It stung whenever I touched it, and as I looked down at my hand I realized that I was bleeding. Shaking my head slowly, trying to clear my head, I looked up and blinked, thinking that the sight before me was a hallucination caused by the blow I had just taken. But, after a few blinks, I realized that the person standing in front of me was the one who'd hit me. 

"Oh no...I'm sorry! I thought that you were one of those monsters..", they immediately dropped their weapon, which I soon recognized as a broken piece of wood. 

__

'How could they possibly mistake me for a fucking zombie?' I thought. Moaning slightly, the dizziness I still felt making me somewhat nauscious, I slid down to the floor with my back still leaning against the door. They must've used a fucking two-by-four or something close to it, because it surely hurt like hell. And from what I can guess, if I would have been a zombie, my head would be rolling around on the floor right now. 

Looking up once again, I saw a woman walking in my direction. It was the physical education teacher, Mrs. Weston. She looked as thought she'd had more than a few run-ins with zombies. Her shoulder length blond hair had blood stains in it, as well as her clothes. Perhaps she did decapitate a few zombies with that board. She certainly knew how to use it. I probably would have been dead now if she hadn't just grazed the side of my head with it...and then it wasn't even that much of a grazing. 

She knelt down beside me, a first aid kit in hand. Her hands were shaking, along with the rest of her body, from what I could tell. Can't say I blame her, really. This was enough to give anyone the jitters. Except me, apparently. 

Looking away so she could have better access to the wound, I noticed that she wasn't the only one hiding in here. Near a set of lockers in the back of the room, a group of seven other surivivors were hiding. I took a moment to recall who they were: Mrs. Johnson, Mr. Johnson's wife; Mr. Whitney, the art teacher; Abigail Dufour, a writer for the school newspaper; Leon Bordwell, a jock; a good buddy of mine, Adam Stevenson; and then, there was the Peirce sisters, Kasey and Frances. 

"Oww..dammit!" Wincing, I jerked my gaze away from them and back to Mrs. Weston. In her hands she held a gauze and some peroxide to clean the wound with. "That hurts, you know?"

"Keep still, I'm almost finished." She sent a _"Listen to me, or I'll hit you with the board again."_ look. I shut up and turned the wound back to her, clamping my jaw shut tightly and biting down. 

After a few minutes of torture, she finished putting a bandage on it, thankfully it didn't need stitches. But my head still hurt like hell. Mrs. Weston might be small, but what she lacked in height, she certainly made up for in strength.

My head throbbed even more as I tried to stand up, but yet, I ignored it. I could rest later. Once I got these people back to the library with the others. 

The rest of the survivors had moved forward, and were now either sitting on a bench or on the floor across from where I was standing, using the door as a form of support until the pain ebbed enough so I could stand without it's help. I constantly looked from person to person. I might have known who they were, but I'd never socialized with them in the past, excpet for Adam and Kasey. Everyone else had always taunted me and my friends. Oh well, now wasn't exactly the best time to think about getting revenge...unless one of them asked for it.

The pain finally disipated enough so I could stand up straight. As I did so, I turned to Mrs. Weston, who was sitting on the bench with the others. "Have all of you been in here since this morning?"

"Yes. We were having an FCA officers meeting when they...attacked. " She whispered the last word. My guess was that not all of the officers had made it, and had fallen victim to some zombies.

"I see...", pausing for a moment, I unholstered the Beretta and checked the clip. It had 7 rounds remaining, plus the one in the chamber. "There are other survivors in the library. Right now it's the safest place to be."

"How many are there?"

"About twenty of us, maybe a couple more. No one's taken a count as fas as I know."

Her gaze shifted from me, to the gun I was holding, then to the shotgun that hung across my back. "How did you get those?"

"I had to crawl through the ventilation system in order to avoid any of those creatures. Then, I simply took this," I held up the Beretta, "from the dead police officer. Then I stole his keys and got the shotgun from his car."

"..Amazing."

"Ehh..yeah. If you say so. Now let's get out of here." I turned back to the door and opened it up. Sticking my head out, I motioned for them to follow me as I stepped out with the Beretta aimed out in front of me. "Now look, everyone stay close together, and be on guard. There are other things out there besides zombies." I assumed they knew that their fellow classmates, and the entire town of Bunkie, had been turned into flesh-eating monstrosities. 

As we walked, the only sounds throughout the entire gymnasium were the squeaking of sneakers across the slick floors of the basketball court, and the occasional thunderclap. From the sound of it, the second wave was about to hit, and I wanted to be back in the library when it did. It didn't help at all when you couldn't hear something sneaking up on you because of the damn weather. 

As we stepped outside into the courtyard, familiar moans of hunger could be heard. And they weren't going away either, no, they were approaching. _'Great, just fucking great.'_ Turning in the direction we had to go, I found the source of the moans. A group of atleast six or seven zombies were staggering in our direction. It'd be best to do a hit-and-run. Hit them all with a couple of shotgun blasts while they were in a group, then run and hop over there bodies. Only thing is, I've noticed that if they're not dead, they'll still try and grab you by the ankle. 

Holstering the Beretta, I brought the shotgun around and gripped it tightly, shifting a round into the chamber I started walking towards the crowd of undead. "One they're all down, run like hell. And be sure to stay away from their hands!" I called back to the others. 

Once they came within a few feet of us, I aimed the shotgun down at their knees. After waiting a few more seconds, I shot one round into the kneecaps of atleast five of the monsters. As they fell, I quickly let go of the shotgun and proceeded to pull out the Beretta, using it to shoot out the knees of the last two zombies. While those two were falling to the ground, I had already began to run through those that were on the ground, making sure to stay away from their arms. 

Just as I'd cleared the menaces, the screams of one of the survivors made me turn around. It was Adam. One of the creatures had taken hold of his ankle and was currently trying to bite him. 

Running to Adam's aid, I brought my foot up, and down hard onto the zombies soft and rotten skull. My boots made a slight cruching noise, along with many other rather disgusting sounds as it crushed the skull and brain underneath. _'Heh, it's a dirty job, but someone's gotta do it.'_

Picking my foot up, I couldn't help but make a disgusted face. In between the treads, brain tissue and a couple of the monsters teeth were either stuck, or hanging in a sticky mass of blood. Oh well, no time to clean it out. Grabbing Adam by the arm, we quickly ran over to where everyone else was standing. From the looks on their faces, I could tell they thought I was crazy for what I'd just done. I'd rather get a few brains stuck in my boot than waste a bullet on something so easy to get rid of.

Looking back at the pile of incapcitated zombies, I smirked slightly at my own handywork before turning back around and continuing towards the library with the others following close behind. 

The library was quiet when we'd finally entered, but when everyone saw that survivors had been found, well, it became quite noisy. Friends reuniting and hugging, talking about how they'd managed to escape from the clutches of the monsters; a real annoyance to someone with a splitting headache. Namely, myself. 

Walking over to a corner in the room, I crouched down and leaned back against the wall. The Beretta lay on the floor beside me, along with the SPAS-12. My head felt like someone had taken a meat cleaver and just bashed it repeatedly. Not that I would actually know what that feels like, just guessing. Atleast we'd made it back before the second wave of weather hit. Which, as if on cue, a bright flash of lightning lit up the darkened library, startling a few people. The loud clap of thunder that ensued didn't help either. Atleast it made them shut up a little. 

Bringing a hand up, I gently touched the bandaged wound. It didn't hurt as much this time when I touched it. Yet the headache was still the same as before, and it probably wouldn't get any better until I could get some rest...or some aspirin. A lot of aspirin at that. 

Continuously I would blink my eyes, trying to stay awake. I couldn't take the chance of falling asleep in case I might have a concussion. Sure, I most likely didn't have one, but still I'd rather not take the chance. 

Needing something to do, I stood up and retrieved the laptop I was using earlier, along with my backpack, which held the disk, some shotgun ammo, and the coin I'd found earlier. If I could find the location of the Basement entrance, it could maybe be used as an escape route. I knew for a fact that at the Umbrella Laboratory there was an underground railway that took workers to the next town. That's one thing my parent's did tell me, even if I wasn't supposed to know. Why though? I have no idea. All I know is...I'm thankful for that one piece of information. 

Sitting back down in the corner, I switched the computer on. It's screen illuminating the small corner just enough for me a read a few book titles on the shelf next to me. 

I placed the disk into the appropriate drive and soon found myself staring at the same set of blueprints from earlier. Staring at the screen, I began to scan the layout of the first floor for some kind of secret door, or area, that might be the entrance. The only thing that seemed out of the ordinary was that, in Mr. Roy's office, there was supposed to be an adjoining room. But, as many times as I've been in there, I've never noticed a second doorway. Grinning, I quickly switched to the set of blue prints for the basement, and there, in the same spot Mr. Roy's office would be, was what appeared to be the entrance. 

Looks like I've got more exploring to do...


	6. Disagreements/The Introduction of Tyrant

Surviving A Nightmare

Chapter 6: Disagreements/The Introduction of Tyrant

Disclaimer:: I do not own Resident Evil, Capcom does.

__

'Fuck, how long are they going to argue?' The last hour and a half has been just one big ass headache, not only for me, but for everyone else. Paul and Leon have been at each other's throats ever since the sun went down...which was the same time the back-up light started to flicker. So now, not only were we stranded with hundreds, even thousands, of undead trying to devour us; but we were also running low on gasoline for the generator. 

Now, I'm sitting atop the librarian's desk, watching them debate on two subjects. Leon felt that it'd be better if we just stayed there; that help would surely come sooner or later. While Paul, his idea sounded much more reasonable. He felt that someone should go cipher gasoline from a vehicle in the parking lot, then at dawn, try and find a way out of town. 

Even as they spoke I was preparing to do just that. With some duct tape found in the storage closet, I'd taped a flashlight to the bottom of the shotgun barrel. It'd certainly make things easier. I would have better control of the gun with both hands, instead of just one. While I was finding gas, it would also be a good idea to check out that secret doorway in Mr. Roy's office. 

Sitting there with the shotgun in my lap, I started down at the floor in thought, while my feet occasionally bumped against the wooden desk. First thing, a hose and some sort of gas can would be necessary; which I'm sure those could be found in the generator room. Why not? The room was right there by the Ag. Department. Surely they would have something in there. Second, I'd have to be sure it took regular gas, and not diesel. And third, as much as I hated it, I would need someone to watch my back while I did all this. The thought of a zombie taking a bite out of my neck while I was stealing gas from a car was far from appealing. Okay, it wasn't appealing in any way. The main question was...who'd be willing to go? 

"If we wait for help to come, we'll surely be dead you asshole! I know you suffer from being a little slow, but god damn, I didn't know you were that retarded!" Paul shouted. He might have been a short fellow, but he could still be just as intimidating as the jock he was currently bickering with. 

"Hah! Oh yeah, let's go along with your idea of going out there with those..those...zombie-things!" Okay, so as the saying goes, "Quantity does not equal quality." Tsk..tsk..that was certainly the thing in Leon's case. Can't blame the poor guy for trying though. 

Okay, it was time for this to stop. I had a bad enough headache as it was. What I wouldn't give for just two aspirin. The pain from the wound on my head wasn't as bad as it was before..but it was far from feeling damn skippy, too. Clearing my throat, I looked up at the two, who were staring back at me, along with everyone else. "Are the two of you finished?" I asked in a tired voice. 

"Yeah....", they replied in unison. 

"Good, " Hopping off the desk, I held the shotgun so that the barrel and flashlight were pointed down at the floor. "I'm going to go extract some gas from one of the vehicles in the parking lot."

"Wha...Are you insane?! Those damn creatures have got to be everywhere by now!" Leon shouted, ignoring the look he was receiving from Paul. 

"They are everywhere. It doesn't change anything." I let my gaze drift down to the handgun holstered at my side, and as I remove it from it's holster, I look back up to speak. "I need someone to come with me." 

"Huh? Why?" 

"To watch my back while I cipher the gas from the car. I can't do that, AND watch my back at the same time." Yeesh, these people could be so dense. Holding up the gun, I look around. "Any volunteers?"

The entire room was quiet. As anyone could see, I was the only one willing...or crazy enough to go out there and square off against those sons-a-bitches. Just as I was about to head over to the door, a quiet voice spoke up somewhat shyly. "I'll go." 

"Huh?!" Stopping dead in my tracks, I slowly turned around to find the owner of the voice. As I turned around, my eyes finally came to rest upon the only other person standing, besides myself, Leon, and Paul. That person was one of the people I, along with my small group of friends, disliked the most. Frances Pierce was actually volunteering to help me. _'Should I be relieved that she's helping? Or is this some kind of omen-type thing?'_ Oh well, no time to ponder these things. 

I handed her the Beretta, and realized she didn't know what she was doing. Without even waiting for her to ask, I took the gun once again and began showing her how to fire the weapon, and how to reload. "It's easy. Right now, all you have to do is pull the trigger, because it's already loaded. But, when the clip is empty, all you do is this...", I showed her how to release the clip, then once it was out, I snapped it back into place. "Once you have the fresh clip in, you rack back the slide so you can put a round into the firing chamber. After that, just pull the trigger."

"O..okay. What else am I supposed to do?"

"Just watch behind us. You know, watch my back? It's not brain surgery, so don't worry." Even in the worst times, I could still be quite arrogant. I had to say, I was impressed with myself. 

"Smartass..."

"Thank you. Now, enough with the chit chat. Let's go." Turning for the door, I began to walk over to it when I remembered something. "Oh...here." I unhooked a small flashlight from where it was hooked onto a belt loop. "Hold the gun in one hand, and this under it with your other hand." 

"Alright." She took it and pressed the small button that turned it on; well, atleast she was a fast learner. 

After running straight from the library to the Ag. Department, we now found ourselves searching through the deserted metal workshop for anything we could carry gasoline in. To our luck, we found one resting next to the tractor used to cut the grass, along with several weedeaters and an air compressor. Now, all we needed was some kind of hose. That was easy enough to find. Picking up a nearby wrench, I knelt down next to the air compressor and unscrewed the hose from the compressor. 

Now, we were finally on our way. As we exited the Ag. Department, I deducted that the quickest way to the parking lot would be to head right, that way we could easily get to the main hall that lead from the metal detectors, all the way down to the English Dept. 

Immediately after turning the corner, the beam of my flashlight revealed a group of four zombies in front of us. Piece of cake. A single shotgun blast, and a quick jab to the head with the combat knife would put them all down. As I stepped forward, Frances had the intuition to look left, instead of focusing on the foes in front of us. 

Just after I'd fired a single round from the shotgun, I heard her opening fire on another three zombies that'd been standing a little further down the hallway. Taking a moment to check her progress, I noticed that she'd already dispatched two of the zombies of their rotten brains. Convinced that she could handle the last one, I removed the large combat knife from it's sheath and, being careful to avoid the flailing hands of the monsters before me, I either stepped on their rotten craniums or jabbed the knife's blade through one of their eye sockets. 

As I lifted the knife to place it back in it's sheath, I noticed that when I'd removed it from the socket of a zombie's skull, the monster's eyeball had come out with it. Now, the slimy mucus was running down the blade and handle, and onto my hand. I quickly flung the knife to the ground and proceeded nearly wanted to gag at the atrocious sight. 

"Sooo, you're not as tough as you _pretend_ to be." Frances stated as she approached me, the Beretta was hanging limply in one hand at her side while she held the flashlight out to go over the damage I'd done to the creatures.

"I have a right to be somewhat afraid. We don't know whether this...virus, or whatever, is simply transmitted through biting; or through the transfer of body fluids." Even though I was sure this sickness wasn't airborne, I didn't want to take the chance that it might simply be spread by that mucus touching even the smallest cut on my hand or arm. 

"Good point...", she continued to stare at the knife, before moving her flashlight back to the desimated corprses. 

I walked back over to where the knife lay on the floor, and kneeled down to pick it up; not before ripping off a piece of the zombies clothing so I could wipe the projectile weapon off. It was simply too valuable an asset to leave behind.

We finally reached the parking lot after irradicating atleast ten more of the walking dead. As we came out into the open, we stopped dead in our tracks. The night sky was lit up with the orangish glow of fire. Piles of cars were almost stacked on top of one another on the streets that lined the school. The sight of these things only proved that the rest of the city had now been occupied by numerous ammounts of undead. 

Now, with the gasoline can in one hand, I walked over to the nearest of the student vehicles and knelt down so I could open the car's gas tank and insert one end of the hose. 

"Okay. I'm getting ready to begin, so stay alert. If you as much as see anything coming this way, kill it." 

"Okay...."

I picked up the gas can and unscrewed the lid before placing it back on the ground. Now, here came the tough part. I had to make sure I didn't end up swallowing a big gulp of gasoline, because if I did, it was bye-bye Natalie. 

"Well, here goes nothin'." I said as if talking to no one. Wrapping a hand around the end of the hose, I pressed my lips to the opening and began to inhale. I repeated this process a couple more times before feeling the gasoline come rushing towards the opening. Removing the hose from my lips, I placed the end inside the can and let the can fill up. That's when we heard it. 

In the distance, we could hear the sound of what sounded like a helicopter approaching. As the sound became clearer, it was certain that it was only one chopper. 

Quickly removing the hose, I replaced the lid back onto the gas can before looking up. The lights of the chopper seemed to pass right over us. Mere common sense told me that this wasn't a rescue. From the helicopter hung a large capsule of some sort. 

Standing up, both Frances and I watched as the capsule was released; while the chopper took off once again. This definitely couldn't be good. The capsule landed mere yards from where we were standing. 

Suddenly, the capsule just burst into shards of metal. And there, amongst the remains of the transport capsule, stood one of the most horrendous sights ever. 

The creature had to have been genetically engineered in a lab. For nature could never produce something like what we were seeing now. It's head was a grayish color, and from what I could see, it was as smooth and bald as Mr. Clean's. It's eyes were like black, bottomless pits that frankly, could scare the shit out of anyone. Garbed in what looked like specially made armor, maybe Kevlar, I wasn't sure, it looked like some sort of super-soldier. The one thing I couldn't figure out was; what was that thing it held in it's hand. It appeared to be some tall pipe. 

When it raised that very arm up, I realised that it wasn't a pipe, but an actual rocket launcher. _'Fuck no!'_ And, it was aiming it right at us. Without thinking, I quickly picked up the gas can and shotgun, all the time shouting for Frances to run back to the entrance. I didn't have to tell her twice. 

After just three strides, I heard the whoosh of a rocket flying from the launcher. That wasn't nearly enough distance to get out of the blast radius. In mere seconds, I felt my body being lifted into the air and thrown forward at an alarming speed. Yet, everything felt as if it was in slow-motion. Before I knew it, I found myself landing atop the hood of a vehicle that was close to the cop car I'd visited earlier. 

Once my feet hit the hood, I immediately rolled off the side, the gas can went flying off to the side somewhere in the process; while thankfully the shotgun didn't go anywhere, for it was slung across my shoulder. I wasn't worried about these things too much, for the pain running through, what seemed, my entire body was so immense, I felt as if I was going to lose conciousness. And, sure enough, I found myself slowly crawling towards blackness. 

Until finally....that's all I saw as I drifted into unconciousness. 

A/N: Okay, I know the introduction of the Tyrant here is similar to the one from RE2. Can you blame me? RE2 is like, the best Resident Evil, besides the Gamecube remake of the original.


	7. Time To Move

Surviving A Nightmare  
Chapter 7: Time To Move 

Disclaimer: I do not own Resident Evil, Capcom does. The lyrics belong to Mike Shinoda and the guys of Linkin Park. 

Why does it feel like night today?   
Something in here's not right today.   
Why am I so uptight today?   
Paranoia's all I got left   
I don't know what stressed me first   
Or how the pressure was fed / but   
I know just what it feels like   
To have a voice in the back of my head   
It's like a face that I hold inside   
A face that awakes when I close my eyes   
A face watches every time I lie   
A face that laughs every time I fall   
[And watches everything]   
So I know that when it's time to sink or swim   
That the face inside is hearing me / right underneath my skin   
It's like I'm paranoid  
Lookin' over my back  
It's like a whirlwind  
Inside of my head  
It's like I can't stop  
What I'm hearing within'  
It's like the face inside   
Is right beneath my skin  
-Linkin Park "Papercut"

'Oy, a hangover would be nice right about now....'

Tiny, sharp, pricks of pain shot through my entire body as I attempted to sit up. Okay, so it felt more like a thousand or so needles were poking the shit out of me. This only helped me remember why I hated shots...or just needles in general. 

I could hear the sound of what only could be the crackling of flames. Sure enough, I managed to turn my head to the side just a tad, and the car that I'd been standing beside only moments ago was aflame. Near miss, eh? No way...more like a near hit! My luck must be with me today; I just hope it'll stay with me long enough so I can get the hell outta this godforsaken place.

But, I sure as hell can't get anything done just lying here like a bump on a log. 

Considering what had just happened, or what seemed like moments ago anyway, when you throw in the unconciousness factor; I wasn't in too bad a shape. Just in an immense amount of pain. Not excrutiating, but still, it hurt. I could definitely use a little rest and relaxation, that's for sure. 

Even as I pushed myself up into a sitting position, with my legs out in front of me, my vision seemed to spin, as if I was on some kind of ballistic merry-go-round. Talk about making someone want to toss their cookies. However, since I didn't stop for my usual overly-greasy Sausage McMuffin, one of the many foods from McDonald's that could shorten a person's life span, I didn't have any cookies to toss.

After a few minutes of "riding" on the little go-round, my vision finally cleared enough so I could take a look at my surroundings. All I could really recognize was the large, brick wall of the gymnasium. If it wasn't for that, I would have thought I was in some sort of twisted version of Oz. A Freddy Kreuger kind of Oz. 

The clouds from the storm had finally cleared, so that now the entire area was bathed in moonlight. Not that it mattered, I could easily see everything due to the innumerable amount of fires that were ablaze. It appeared as if that "thing" had had a little too much fun with it's launcher. Most of the cars in the lot were either in flames, or they appeared as though they'd been through the chop-shop, hell, and back. 

Looking over my shoulder, I found the area around the school to be in the same condition. Cars were bumper to bumper; okay, more like they were backseat to bumper. A few of their owners were clearly visible through the broken glass of either their windshields or windows. Others had been ejected through the windshield, and were now resting atop the hoods of their cars, or on the street. All of them were dead, and I couldn't help but hope they'd stay that way. 

"Well, if you keep on sitting here, something will surely get your ass!", I mumbled to myself; something that I'd found myself doing quite a bit of lately. Sheesh, I hope I'm not losing my mind, but then in a place as hellish as this...who wouldn't?

Sure enough, familiar moans and groans suddenly sounded off somewhere to my left. Ignoring the sudden, sharp pain that erupted from out of nowhere, I gripped the shotgun that'd fallen beside me and, using it for leverage, I managed to pull myself to my feet. 

No broken bones. I suddenly find myself thankful for small favors, and wondering if maybe there is some kind of "almighty" being, or beings, looking after each and every one of us. For the few of us to have survived as long as we have, there must be. That, or like I said before, we're just damned lucky. 

Oh well, no time to ponder such philosophical things. I can always do that once I, and the others, escape to safety. The only question was...what place was safe? There was no way of knowing whether or not if this was just in the vicinity of Bunkie; or if it had spread to neighboring communities as well. There were definitely questions that had to be answered. Namely, who or what caused this occurance to take place? 

Moans once again sounded off to my left. It seemed as though some of the zombies that'd been roaming the streets had finally made their way to the school grounds, which were now easily accessible through the gaps in the chain-link fence that surrounded the campus. 

"This just keeps on getting better and better." Picking up the shotgun, I chambered a round even as I started to limp/trot across to the set of double doors that lead into the lobby of the school's gymnasium. The entrance with the metal detectors had been destroyed, and was now blocked by portions of the rooftop that'd been damaged during the blast. 

The zombies had been avoided easily, and I sighed in relief when I closed and locked the two double doors behind me. The only way they could be opened, now, was from the inside. Unless the bastard with the rocket launcher came along. He could just blast it into millions of splinters. What in the hell was that 'thing' anyway? He, (Or should I say "it"? Oh well, I hardly think the creature's sex matters, considering the circumstances.) reminded me of a lab experiment gone wrong. That, and it's seen one too many 'Die Hard' movies. "Yippy ki-yay motherfucker." Oh yeah, I could see that beast quoting John McClane. 

Inside, the lobby of the gymnasium was desolate. Thankfully. Even though I'd been successful in surviving my first encounter with "Johnny", I doubt that I'd be able to survive another one. The first encounter was horrendous enough. 

As I walked on towards the exit on the opposite side of the lobby, I could only hear the sounds of two things: the moans of the undead that were outside, and surprisingly, the beating of my heart. Shadows played across the walls while silvery patches of moonlight shone through the windows. Outside, I could see corpses that littered the ground. Both the living corpses, and the dead ones. So many had fallen victim to this...anomoly...in such a short period of time. Less than a day has passed, and already it's managed to wipe out the town. 

Pushing open the door that allowed me to exit out into yet another hallway, I took a moment to peer around. Nothing. Just the remains of those zombies I'd taken out earlier. 

I stepped out into the hallway, the only light being that provided by the moon, nature's very own flashlight. As I did so, I had remembered Frances fleeing through the same entrance that'd been destroyed. 'Did she make it?' After surveying the devastation caused by the launcher, the chances of finding her safe and sound in the library were steadily rising, and not in her favor.

Lifting the shotgun so that the stock was pressed against my shoulder, I flicked on the flashlight that'd been taped to the barrel. Moonlight could only be so useful. Nope, the light of the moon couldn't penetrate the shadows. Which is why, I suppose, we were never able to see those creatures that hid in our closets or under our beds. 

And, that was definitely the case here, for when I proceeded down the hallway that would take me to the library I could hear the familiar *click, click* of claws. 

Even as I paused the sounds continued in my direction, getting closer every second. Yet, still I waited. This creature wanted to play games. Well, I could play games too. It was the hunter, I its' prey. Soon however, the tables would surely turn in my favor. 

That's when I heard it. What could only be described as some sort of suction noise, and then a barely audible *click*. Spinning around, I found that the creature was crawling towards me on all fours. Sure enough, it was one similiar to the monster I'd previously slaughtered. Taking aim, I didn't even give it time to leap into the air before pulling the trigger. 

The impact from the blast threw the monster backwards, a large hole now visible in it's body. Pieces of tissue were splattered against a nearby wall, and on the floor just around it's body. Jagged chunks of flesh flapped about as it squirmed and shook in it's final death throws. Then with a final shriek, it's body stopped it's quivering. Now lifeless, it just lay there with it's long tongue hanging out from inbetween it's rows of sharp and jagged teeth; the same ones what would never tear into a piece of living flesh again. 

With that obstacle taken care of, it was time to get everyone out of here. Things were getting worse as time passed, so the option of holding out until rescue came was definitely non-existant. That creature had been sent here for a reason. As for what that reason may be, I really didn't care to know.

Don't ask why, but I was relieved when I was greeted by a locked door. That meant, most likely, that everyone was still alive. Or almost everyone, anway.

Smirking, I balled my hand up into a fist and proceeded to do what was called "a ghetto knock" on the library door. Sure, it probably scared the shit out of everyone, but how else was I going to get them to open the damn door? 

"Hey! Open up!", I shouted. No doubt drawing the attention of a few nasty's in the process. As long as it wasn't ol' "Johnny". 

"Nat?!", Shane's voice could be heard from the other side; and then the click of a lock. 

Not wasting any time, I quickly entered and shut the door behind me. We may be leaving soon, but that wasn't reason enough to make a foolish mistake. 

The library and it's occupants were bathed in the glow of flashlight beams. Since we weren't able to get gasoline to the back-up generator, the school was entirely without electricity. Which, come to think of it, really sucked. Without power, there was no way I could possibly get that door in Mr. Roy's office open. Wait, I take that back. With the power out, it could be possible to open the door manually...meaning I actually had to work to get the bitch open. 

Still, there were other factors to take into consideration. Number one being: what was behind the door? Just what exactly was our asshole of a principal trying to hide? On one hand, it could always be something really useful...like a passage that would take us to safety. However, on the other hand, it could be hiding some really nasty bad ass. One that was more than willing to rip our flesh from our bodies and devour us while alive. Okay, imagination taking over here.

Shaking my head to rid myself of the rather disturbing image, I immediately stopped when my vision started to go all "psycho-merry-go-round-" on me once again. I really gotta do something about that. 

"Man, you look like shit." Oy, leave it to Paul to tell me something I already know. However, his attempt at humor is only half-hearted. He stood leaning against the librarian's desk, where he idly flipped through Mr. Johnson's rolodex, looking rather depressed. Can't say I blame him. The last eighteen hours have been pretty shitty for all of us. 

"Yeah, I feel like it, too." I walk over to the nearest table and plop down in an empty seat. A little rest wouldn't hurt before we leave. Besides, who knows when we'll be able to really relax after we leave?

"Natalie?!"

Well, looks like Frances made it. Yeesh, she could probably take down a whole freakin' group of those zombies with just a scream. Do you know how nails on a chalkboard sound? If you do, imagine that...then multiply it times ten. 

"The one and only. It takes more than a freak with a rocket launcher to kill me." Heh, looks like no matter how bad of a beating I take, my ability to be a smartass at all times will still be there. 

"Whatever...."

"Hey, where's that gun I gave you?" 

Uh-oh, I really didn't like that sheepish look she had. Now she's looking down at the floor with her hands behind her back. Then, she uttered the words I really didn't want to hear...

"I lost it."

"What? How in the hell do you lose something like that?!"

"I...while I was dodging rubble...it got knocked out of my hand. And...and..I couldn't go back and get it." 

"Oh...", was all I could say. I hated the fact that she'd lost the gun, meaning the only type of weaponry we had was the shotgun and a knife, but atleast she did the smart thing and keep running. And now, she looked as thought she were going to burst into tears. So, since I didn't want to hear her balling like a big baby, I did the only thing I could do. "Don't worry about it. Atleast you're okay." Oy, I really hate being sensitive. "Although...not having it is going to make getting everyone out of here more difficult."

"Yea-what?! Just what do you mean by 'getting everyone out of here'?", she shrieked. 

"What else would I mean? It's not like we can stay here forever."

"But..someone's bound to come. Right? I mean, someone's bound to know what's going on here!"

"I wouldn't get my hopes up if I were you."

"But-..."

"Look, I don't know about you, but I do NOT want to stay here any longer! There are other things out there besides those zombies, you saw that yourself. Just how long do you think we'll be able to stay here until that thing finds us? And you know, as well as I do, that those doors aren't gonna keep it out of here." 

Hah, looks like that convinced her; and a few others, as well. Now that I had them all convinced, and more than eager to get the hell out of here, there was only one thing left to do. Although, I had no idea of how I was going to do it. 

Getting everybody to Mr. Roy's office would be pretty simple. There weren't many of us, so we could go in one group. The hallways were pretty much devoid of zombified students; they simply went where the food was, meaning they'd moved off campus and onto the streets. 

After getting the doors open, I could do a quick sweep of Level B1 and eliminate anything that might hinder our passage. Then, hopefully, we could move on to the passageway. From there...I had no idea what we were going to do; not that any of them needed to know that. 

Standing up, I slung the shotgun over my shoulder and motioned towards the door. It was time to get the hell out of here. 

"Time to move." 

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



	8. Going Under

Surviving A Nightmare

Chapter 8: Going Under

A/N: Yeah, it's been awhile. Hopefully I'll be able to post chapters more frequently, but then again, don't go getting your hopes up.

Disclaimer: Oh yeah, I don't own Resident Evil. 

Well here we are, standing in Mr. Roy's office arguing…again. This time, however, I'm actually participating in this one. What are we arguing about? It's kind of funny really. After all this time, I've been the one doing the exploring, the one fighting the zombies, the one getting their ass kicked around by a rocket launcher using, really grotesque trench coat wearing, freak of nature. And I've been doing all of this _alone!_ So now why is it such a big deal for me to go down and explore the ever-spooky sounding "Level B1" all by myself? Shane, Paul, Ashley, and surprisingly Frances, all seem to think it's a very big deal.

"Look Nat, you can't do all of this on your own! I mean, look at you! You've already had the shit beaten out of you. At least take a couple of us down there with you.", Shane always was the emotional type. Too bad I'm about to have to hit him with the truth.

"They would just get in my way, dammit! Sure, if we had a couple more weapons I might consider it. But not now. All we have is this shotgun and a shitty knife.", I turned towards the now open door that, upon opening it, had revealed only a stairwell…and darkness. "I can't do what has to be done if I have to watch over someone. It's best if everyone just waits here."

"But-…"

"No. We're not arguing about this anymore you guys.", hah, I really know how to put someone in their place! 

Anyway, it was time for me to head on down and see what kind of secrets our dear principal was hiding. Besides, the sooner I got down there and made sure it was clear, the sooner we could all get out of here. 

I really didn't want to leave everyone up there, especially with ol' Johnny running around with an itchy trigger finger, but I couldn't take the chance that there might be something worse waiting for us down there. "If anything happens to get in here, don't hesitate to get your asses down those stairs. And if you can, try and close this door behind you."

"Gee Natalie, from the way you sounded I'd think you actually cared.", Frances smirked. I'm not sure, but I think I detected a hint of sarcasm. Frankly, I didn't much care. 

So, to quote Squall Leonhart, a "Whatever." was my only reply before heading down into darkness. Before the argument had started I'd put a few extra batteries in my side pack. The last thing I wanted was to end up not being able to see what was in front of me…or what might've been behind me. 

As I descended the only noises were the sound of my boots on concrete, and my breathing. The silence was deafening. And jeez, did I just say that? How corny can you get, am I right? But in all honestly, it was kind of creepy. The walls and stairs were made entirely of concrete, and the place was so barren a person couldn't help but be creeped out just a little.

It wasn't long before I'd reached the end of the line…or the end of the stairway at least. In front of me was a door that was labeled "Basement: Level 1".

"Well, here goes nothing."

With the shotgun in my right hand, I turned the handle with my left. Hoping that there was nothing waiting for me on the other side, I jerked open the door and quickly stepped back, aiming the shotgun upwards as I did so. What did I find on the other side? A whole lot of nothing. The hallway in front of me was completely empty. It was bright, too. So, there was power down here. That wasn't really a big surprise. In fact, it was more of a blessing. That meant I could get in there, search, and then get back up to the others. 

Stepping into the brightly lit hallway, I noticed that there were three doors total. Two on the right, one on the left. Might as well check the one on the left first, right? 

I'm not surprised that it's unlocked. I mean, if you had to go through the trouble of using an electronic keycard and a password just to open the door that lead to the stairway, why not just keep these doors unlocked? Heh, a lot of good that door is when the power goes out. 

Now I'm in what appears to be some kind of security room. There's a workstation with monitors set up, a couple computers, some kind of communications console, and…what's that over there? Could that be a weapons locker? I fuckin' hope it is. I mean, why else would they have a locker in a room like this? 

Seeing that the room was safe enough, I placed the shotgun on a nearby desk and walked over to the locker. Sure, I was going to take a look at what was on those computers, but weapons were something that we definitely needed. The shotgun had been a reliable asset to me so far, but I'm starting to run kind of low on ammunition. 

"Holy shit!" Yep, there were weapons in there alright. Don't get me wrong. It's not like there were AK-47's or rocket launchers stored in there. 

Instead I found four nine millimeter handguns, Sigpro's probably, two SPAS-12 tactical assault shotguns, and ammo for both types of weapons. It wasn't enough for everyone to have their own weapon, but it was a hell of a lot better than just one shotgun and a lousy knife. 

I knew I couldn't possibly carry everything back up the stairwell with me, so when I was ready to bring everyone down here I'd be sure to return to this room again. For now though , not knowing what lay ahead of me, I took the time to stock up on ammo for my shotgun. 

Just as I was about to take a look at whatever was on those computers, a shrill cry of "Help" stopped me dead in my tracks. Looking over at the monitors I couldn't help but grin. Another survivor, although they wouldn't be for long if I didn't get my ass in gear. The label atop the screen said 'Lab 03'. That must've been one of the other two rooms left to explore. The other two monitors just showed what looked like a lounge of some sort, while the other gave me a view of what was located on the floor below: if I wasn't mistaken it was some kind of subway tunnel. 

It looked like those computers were going to have to wait. I ran out into the hallway as fast as I could. Well, at least I didn't have far to go. 'Lab 03' was just across the hallway from the security room. Looks like it was time for me to play the part of the valiant knight in shining armor. Okay, so it was more like the squire in a dirty and bloody school uniform. It seemed like, even in a really fucked up situation, I could keep my sense of humor.

As I burst through the door I realized that my little joke couldn't have been closer to the truth. In the back of a room a woman in a dirty lab coat was being stalked by one of those creepy crawler…things. Her eyes immediately looked from the creature, to me, then back to the creature. Before she could even scream help again I was already on the move. 

It was all over within' seconds. Two shotgun rounds to the creature's body and it collapsed with a shriek, just as the other's had done. Now that I think about it, they kinda died like a cockroach. You know, they both flip over onto their backs and do this little wiggling thing before their legs curl up? 

"Oh god! Thank you!", and with that I was knocked to the floor by a screaming mass of…woman. Not that she was big, but still, it's not everyday that something like this happens. Not that I really minded much. Yeah, I was gay. I munched the carpet, I loved tacos, and I loved to fondle the boobies. Did I mention that I was very immature? 

"Uh…you're welcome?", I gripped the shaking woman by her arms and lifted her up off me. Well, the drama was over with, now it was time to play twenty questions. It was obvious that she was associated with Umbrella, the little red and while Umbrella, Inc. logo on her coat kind of gave that one away. And if she was down here, then she probably had some kind of idea as to what was happening to my town. 

"I didn't think anyone would have come, there hasn't been anyone here for hours, but I figured that since I was about to die it didn't matter if I screamed for help, it's not like I could have felt embarrassed for it or anything-"

"Whoa! Slow down. Just…chill, or something.", and chill she did. I noticed some blood on her pants and coat, and my first thought was that the creature had managed to get in a good swipe or two. "Are you okay?", I motioned to the blood stains .

"Huh? Oh!", she shook her head and looked down at the stains. "This isn't my blood…it's his.", she pointed in the direction of the that I'd just come from. 

In my haste to get rid of her attacker, I failed to notice the body that was lying on the floor just to the right of the door. Blood had pooled around the body. There were large gashes across his chest and part of his stomach. I'm so engrossed in staring at the mayhem the monster caused that I miss out on most of what she's telling me.

"-and then all of sudden the thing just drops from the vent above and attacks Jim! There was blood everywhere…and it would have done the same to me if you wouldn't have saved me."

"Yeah…", I turned may gaze back towards her. "Who are you anyway?"

"Connie, Constance…everyone just calls me Connie.", she smiled and I think that's when she really took in my appearance, "Looks like you've been through a lot, too."

"Yeah…", and this is the part where an awkward silence ensues. There were so many questions that I wanted to ask, but I knew that now wasn't really the time for such a thing. The others were waiting for me to come back and I'm sure they were more than ready to get the hell out of here. "There are some people waiting upstairs. You…wouldn't happen to know where that tunnel leads, would you?"

Yeah, she knew. I could tell from the look on her face. "It leads to the main Umbrella laboratory in the town. You're just in one of the smaller ones."

"Smaller ones? You mean there are more of these things hidden in town?"

"Yes. We use the subway tunnel to transport supplies, experiments, and employees."

That's fuckin' lovely. And to think my mother and father probably knew what was going on underneath my school. They probably know what caused all of this mess, too; I wonder if they're okay. Yeah so they had their secrets, doesn't mean I'm not worried about 'em. Since that tunnel leads to the main Umbrella laboratory I'd find out soon enough if they were either alive or dead…hopefully the former instead of the latter.

"I guess that's where we're headed then. You're welcome to join us if you want.", psh, who am I kidding? With her looks, she's more than welcome to tag along. 

Despite the bloody coat and pants, she didn't look like she'd been through much. I guess she figured it'd be safer to hide down below…boy was she wrong! 

As she walked past me to the door I couldn't help myself and glanced down. Unfortunately the lab coat was blocking my view. Not that it mattered much, the rest of her was just as much fun to look at. She didn't look all that old either, like maybe she was in her early twenties. She had shoulder length brown hair, not too sure about the eye color, and a fairly good rack! When she reached to open the door I noticed a very flashy wedding band on her left hand. Damnit, there goes my shot at getting any of the "survivors taking comfort in each other" nookie. Like I said before: I'm immature.

The stairwell was just as spooky as before. I lead the way with the flashlight with her just behind me. The others would probably cheer and clap and get all giddy at the fact that I'd found another survivor. At least it would probably stop all the "We're gonna die horrible deaths." mumbo jumbo. Not that I'm saying it won't happen, I just don't want it to happen. 

Gee, never thought I'd hear myself say that…or think it…whatever!


	9. A Little R&R

Surviving A Nightmare

Disclaimer: See previous chapters.

Chapter 9: A Little R&R.

Well here we are on a small, one compartment train that's leading us to the one place we should be trying to get as far away from as possible. However, according to Connie there's a larger train on a different set of tracks that'll take us out of the city. It seems as though Umbrella was aware that something like this might happen. So, as a requirement, all Umbrella facilities have an alternate escape route underneath their facilities.

As it is, we're all grateful for the respite from what's going on above us, however brief it may be. I mean, we've all been through a lot. In less than twenty-four hours we've lost everything. Our school, homes, friends, family, and even now there's a chance some of us won't even make it out with our lives. We don't know what lies ahead. Hell, the main laboratory could be infested with those things. Because from what Connie tells me, that's where the proverbial shit hit the fan.

But I don't really want to think about that right now. All I want to do is sit here, with my head against the wall of the small engineer's compartment, and rest. I'm tired, hungry, and in need of a bath and a change of clothes. Seriously. What I wouldn't give to be back at home, eating a gigantic bowl of Count Chocula while watching reruns of G Gundam, or even better, playing Final Fantasy VII for the hundredth time. Hell, I'd kill just to have my mp3 player right about now. But no, that's in my car.

No matter how hard I try though, I can't stop thinking about various things that may lie ahead. What if other survivors have already taken the train out of here? Where does that leave us then, huh? And like I mentioned before, the place could be crawling with zombies and god only knows what else. Sure, we have a decent enough arsenal of weapons now, but I doubt it could stand up to that humongous rocket launcher ol' Johnny is packing.

"This sucks ass." I say to myself. I stand up and place my hands on the control panel in front of me. The lights of the small cargo train illuminate the path ahead of us, but psh, there sure isn't any light at the end of this tunnel.

"I agree." Kasey says as she enters the compartment. It's a pretty small room, and now with two people it's really cramped. I move over so that there's at least some space between us.

I smile slightly at her comment and lean back against the wall, my arms crossed over my chest. "How's everyone holding up?"

"Okay I guess, considering the situation.." She pauses for a moment and gives me this…look, before continuing. "What about you?"

"Okay I guess, considering the situation." I mimic her words and smirk when she rolls her eyes.

"Smart ass.", she smiles and continues speaking, "But seriously, you've done so much Nat. I mean, you really took control of the situation and managed to get us out of there. While everyone is scared shitless and totally out of it, you just seem so…in control and not afraid of anything. You're very…brave."

I look down at my feet in an attempt to hide the slight blush that's covering my cheeks right now. "I don't know about all of that."

"You are." She said. She moved closer and reached a hand up to lightly brush her fingertips against the bandage that was covering the gash from the two-by-four smacking I'd received earlier.

Upon feeling her hand I looked up to see her standing very close. The look she was giving me was different from before, and I liked it. But it was pretty damn confusing, too. It wasn't the fact that it was a girl. As I've stated before, I like girls. It's no secret that I do. But, I sure as hell didn't know that Kasey felt that way towards me. Who knows, maybe she doesn't. It could be the fact that we're in a situation where you don't know whether or not you're going to live to see tomorrow. Maybe I just wasn't used to this kind of stuff. You know, the whole "deep and emotional" kind of stuff. I think she noticed this because she just smiled and let her hand continue traveling downward until I felt fingertips brush against my cheek.

"Relax. I really do like you, Nat." She paused, but her hand didn't stop it's movement against my cheek. "I've been wanting to tell you, and now…," she moved even closer while her hand moved from my cheek to rest on the nape of my neck, "I just don't want to risk not ever being able to do this."

And with that said, she closed the distance between us and kissed me. I couldn't help but be just a little surprised by the action. However, that didn't last very long.

Her lips were soft as they brushed against my own. Yeah, it sounds like something out of a cheesy romance novel, but you know what? I don't give a damn. I moved my arms, which had then fallen limp against my sides, around her slim waist and pulled her even closer. When our bodies brushed up against one another she let out a little moan and wrapped her arms around my shoulders.

I felt her tongue brush across my lips and I didn't waste any time in parting them to deepen the kiss. Our tongues met and I couldn't help but feel a rush of something, perhaps desire (lust) rush through me. At this moment, I really wish there was another car attached to this train.

When air became an issue I slowly pulled away from her. As soon as I did I found myself wanting to capture them with mine again. Resting my forehead against hers, I looked into her eyes and smiled. I really didn't know what to say, but a "Wow." from her pretty much summed it all up.

For the first time since this place went to hell, I felt hopeful that we'd all make it out of here. We had to make it out. I wanted to experience more of…this, whatever it was. Damn if all this isn't doesn't remind me of a Final Fantasy game. Really, think about it. The reluctant hero , moi, who doesn't care about anything or anyone but herself, gets mixed up in something that involves saving the lives of others. Then, along the way, there's a little romance, and she soon finds herself actually caring about the people around her and doing whatever is necessary to save her love. Well okay, in most of those games the reluctant hero is a guy, but…whatever.

I just hope this doesn't end up being a Final Fantasy VII; you know, the one where they actually kill off the hero's love interest?

I must look like I'm thinking about something important, because I'm brought out of my reverie by the sound of Kasey giggling and the feel of her lips lightly grazing mine, again. "You're cute when you're deep in thought."

"…Whatever." I smile, letting her know I'm just kidding. Of course, that still doesn't stop me from blushing. And dammit since when did I actually blush, anyway?

"What were you thinking about?", she asks.

"It's nothing major. I'll tell you about it when all of this is over." I kiss her again to reassure her that nothing's wrong. "We'll be there soon. Let's relax while we can."


End file.
